Tuesday, 29 October 2013

Changes to My Blog & Business + Room Reveal Sneak Peak!

I feel like owning my own business has always been such a journey. It's funny because I don't really have any idea where I'm going to end up. I just keep trying new things, changing things up and setting new goals all in an effort to keep doing what I love while still getting to be a stay-at-home mom. I don't really dream of becoming a world famous designer or owning my own firm one day. Those things sounds nice but in my heart of hearts I know that I really want to be home with my kids as much as possible. I do hope that when they are all in school one day and a little older I'll maybe have a little more freedom to focus more on design work.

A few months ago I decided to stop taking clients in an effort to focus more on my blog. It was a decision I felt really excited about. To be honest with you it hasn't gone as well as I hoped. For one thing I started missing design work and the thrill that came with completing fun projects. The other downfall was that it has been harder to find things to blog about when I'm not working on new projects. Most of my inspiration for posts comes from working with clients and seeking out new products and ideas. The other major downside was that my blog doesn't bring in nearly as much money as my design business does. Working with sponsors is so enjoyable for me but even paid posts take way more time than they are often worth for me. So...

That brings me to a big decision that I've made recently for my business. I've decided to take clients on again. In order to do this to the extent that I want to I've also decided to take on a design partner. One of my best friends Erin (@erin061286) has an incredible eye for design and she also knows how to run a business. Her and I have started taking on projects together and so far it's been amazing! Right now I am still doing my own projects but for most of my newer projects she'll be helping me. We are splitting up the work evenly which has been such a relief for me. With two kids I just don't have the time or means to take on new projects the way that I want to.

Erin and I are specializing in quick projects. With both of us we are able to tackle rooms from start to finish in a matter of weeks. Our goal is to create an entire design plan in a week and then hopefully shop for the room and install the room within 2-3 weeks. By myself rooms can take me months to complete but with Erin we are able to quickly make and execute decisions. Not only am I more efficient with her help but it's also so much more fun!

Here is a sneak peak of our first finished project. I'll be sharing all the fun details tomorrow!

To all of my readers, thanks for being so patient with me through all the growing pains of owning my own business. I'm excited to bring you great new design content. Because I'll be focusing more on my design business blog posts might be a little fewer. The good news is I'll be striving to bring you more unique posts that are mostly updates and reveals on all the projects I'll be working on.